ChronicRder wrote:Maybe this was mentioned in an earlier page, but I'd like to know where some of these words on Safehold come from. For example, it seems like Western European impressions make up the bulk of the language on Safehold. Somehow they came up with Jihad instead of crusade, but I can get over that. That one that throws me for a loop in the random Asian (specifically Japanese words/concepts) that appear, like the Japanese words Kyousei hi or surgoi kasai.
I'm bothered by that because Kyousei hi and surgoi kasai sound so out of place. At least Merlin's katana and wakazashi make a certain amount of sense because he introduces them to the Japanese culture from OWL's database. Kyousei hi and surgoi kasai have been around since the Day of Creation for these people and that just looks and sounds odd, out of place, and flat out wrong compared to the rest of their universal language.
It's not these people had a Tower of Babel moment in history where other language(s) would even have a chance to develop. The only reason Kody's Spanish resurfaced was because of a conflict in his re-programming. Kyousei hi and surgoi kasai were put there by the archangels, allegedly. It's irritating!
For the record, I did not mean to imply that I don't like or love the Asian cultural references. Quite the opposite, I hold Oriental cultures in the highest regard, Japan in particular. I just don't think those references/words fit in the fabric of Safehold. The concepts do! The concepts fit beautifully, but the wording doesn't. Plus, given the plethora of names, locations, and everything else RFC is juggling here, I think adding those words goes just a step too far. It potentially puts an already complex series out of reach for some readers (especially in an era where most kids, and a growing majority of adults, in general don't read more than a tweet and you can perish the thought of them doing research!). Hell, even for some dedicated fans of the series, and people that will put in the extra effort to look up references like Kyousei hi and surgoi kasai, it can be a little much.
If you look on it from another angle it actually makes sense to use non-english words in these instances since using english makes them more mundane and we know that is the last thing the arch-angels wanted (don't mind the men behind the curtain!).
Also, if RFC would try to cater to the lowest common denominator I don't think the books would be worth reading. RFC's stories isn't overly complex compared to some other literature I've read; although I think he is quite alone with the info-dumps.
In general I'm sick and tired of the general dumbing down that is going on right now in the media and I prefer to consume media that makes you think, but I digress..